‘GEOG 227: Our Vulnerable Planet Unit 1 - Important Things to Know. Study Guide, Exercises of Geography

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Study Guide and more Exercises Geography in PDF only on Docsity! ‘GEOG 227: Our Vulnerable Planet Unit 1 - Important Things to Know Unit 1: Intro to Systems and Intro to Anthropogenic Hazards Geography – the study of the Earth’s surface and processes that shape it, both human and physical  Human Geography – Also known as Cultural Geography, it is the study of the spatial expression of culture, and culture is a learned behavior of society Example- urbanization, agriculture, mining/resource extraction  Physical (Natural) Geography – the study of the Earth’s physical processes to learn how they work, how they affect humans, and how they are affected by humans in return Examples- natural disasters, erosion, weather, plate tectonics - Technical Geography – data collection, cartography, GIS (geographic information systems), can work in human or physical geography Systems: System – a group of interacting or interdependent parts that form a complex whole. Systems exist at a varying scale (microscopic, small, large) Examples – hurricane, ecosystem, solar system Earth System Science – the Earth is a system made up of numerous interacting parts or subsystems 4 subsystems: 1. Atmosphere The gaseous layer that surrounds the Earth, the air 2. Hydrosphere Water (in liquid form) 3. Geosphere (Lithosphere) Solid earth 4. Biosphere All life on earth, all living things Riparian Habitat- where water and land meet Closed system - system in which energy can pass through the boundary but matter cannot Example: saucepan with a lid – energy can leave as heat, but steam and sauce are contained Open system – system in which both energy and matter can pass through the boundary Example- saucepan without a lid – energy, steam, and matter can escape Anthropogenic Hazards Car emissions Mining/resource extraction Pesticide runoff Population growth Nuclear waste/ testing Air and water pollution deforestation Outside Materials: Video: Open and Closed Systems Closed System: no mass crosses system boundary Open System: mass can pass through, may gain or lose mass or mass may simply pass through Photo Essay: Can photography help us through an environmental crisis? Photographs were called a “terrible beauty” Video: Documenting human environmental impacts through photography.  CO2 – 1) transportation 2) electric coal/burning fossil fuels 3) manufacturing/industrial  Methane – 1) wetlands 2) termites 3) oceans 4) fossil fuel production 5) rice cultivation 6) cattle, goats, camels  Nitrous oxides – 1) natural soils, burning fossil fuels, oceans, chemical fertilizers  Ozone – fossil fuel combustion  Chlorofluorocarbons – insulation materials, refrigeration, air conditioning, aerosols rates of increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? 1960 – about 320 ppm 2010 – about 390/400 ppm How the Earth’s greenhouse effect works – Increases in global greenhouse gas emissions – Kyoto Protocol 92 parties have ratified the protocol (191 states and one regional economic integration organization). The United States has not; it dropped out in 2001. The protocol mandated that 37 industrialized nations plus the European Community cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Developing nations were asked to voluntarily comply. Causes of naturally occurring long term climate change: 1. orbital variation –  3 slow changes in Earth’s orbit  Together produce regular changes in the amount of solar energy reaching the earth  Primary driving force behind glacial cycles  Also known as Milankovitch cycles  Evidence that warm Holocene interglacial is ending and the Earth is on its way to getting cooler  Eccentricity cycle – 100,000 years. Varies the shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun Changes from an ellipse (oval) to a more circular orbit and then back  Obliquity Cylce – 41,000 years – variation in the tilt of Earth’s axis (max = 24.5 degrees, min = 22 degrees) More tilt means greater seasonality at mid and high latitudes Less tilt = cooler summers and in polar areas and less ice melting which may promote ice ages  Precession Cycle - 21,000 years- variation that causes perihelion/aphelion and solstice equinox. It’s the “wobble” 2. changes in the oceans  Ocean volume and heat capacity make the oceans the single largest buffer against the changes in the Earths climate  Have a high heat capacity – takes longer to warm than land, but retains the heat longer 3 types of ocean changes that can influence global climate 1. Temperature -colder waters are more dense and subside while warmer (tropical) water is buoyant and rises 2. Chemistry – changes in amount of salt (salinity) 3. Circulation – deep circulation can be changed by buoyancy of water  Slow circulation deep below the surface of the. Ocean moves large volumes of water  Major driving force of deep circulation is differences in water buoyancy caused by differences in salinity Higher salinity – occurs where surface evaporation is rapid, causes higher seawater density, causing it to subside, sink Lower Salinity- more buoyant, when surface water is buoyant, deep water circulation slows  Subsurface ocean currents are affected by water temperatures  Cold water sinks (Polar areas)  Warm water rises (Tropical areas)  Salinity & Temperature work together and create complex subsurface flows deep within the ocean basins  El Nino & La Nina  El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)  Example of changes in the ocean  Short term changes in Pacific circulation due to upwelling (changes in buoyancy of water) 3. changes in landmass – Changes in Earth’s surface can explain lengthy periods of cold climates: 1. Characteristic of all glacial periods  presence of continents in polar latitudes  permits glaciers to accumulate on land,  results in lowered sea levels and global effects 2. Formation, disappearance, or movement of a landmass that restricts oceanic or atmospheric circulation ~ Volcanic activity & mountain building processes  A. Isthmus of Panama closed water pathway & changed ocean circulation  B. Uplift of the Himalayas – changed atmospheric flows & monsoonal affects in Asia  Both A & B predated the onset of glaciation 3. Shifting landmasses (latitude or altitude) will affect distribution of vegetation, which could impact atmospheric composition & circulation patterns Changes in albedo * Albedo is the proportion of solar radiation reflected back from a surface  expressed as a percentage of radiation received on that surface 2. More killer storms 3. Massive crop failures 4. Widespread extinction of species 5. Disappearance of coral reefs impacts on agriculture:  agricultural zones will shift coral reefs and coral bleaching: • Coral reefs are important as shelter and feeding grounds for a variety of fish species. • When there is a massive die-off of coral, the bleached coral is colonized by algae. • The reef becomes populated by only herbivorous fish, and the reef may never recover. • Coral scientists are not sure what causes coral bleaching, but warming water is the most likely culprit. • Corals in the Caribbean and Florida have bleached when sea surface temperatures rose and were higher than the mean sea surface temperature for as little as one month. melting glaciers: • Southeast Asia’s largest rivers are fed during the dry season by glaciers high in the Himalayas • Glaciers are now melting so rapidly that they may eventually disappear • As glacial melting accelerates, the immediate risk is flooding • The longer-term concern is reduced dry-season flows in the rivers tropical storms: will become larger and more damaging migration climate change flowchart Outside Materials: Main Greenhouse Gases 1. What characteristics of atmospheric gases determine the strength of their greenhouse effect? The first is the Global Warming Potential (GWP). The second is the atmospheric lifetime. 2. Explain how GWP is measured and how it is expressed. Its a measure of the radiative effect of each unit of gas over a specified period of time, expressed relative to the radiative effect of carbon dioxide (CO2). 3. Will an amount of gas with a high GWP warm the Earth more or less than the same amount of carbon dioxide? An amount of gas with high GWP will warm the Earth more than the same amount of CO2. 4. What does atmospheric lifetime measure? which measures how long the gas stays in the atmosphere before natural processes (e.g., chemical reaction) remove it. 5. Assuming GWPs are equal, would a gas with a long lifetime or short lifetime exert more warming influence? A gas with a long lifetime can exert more warming influence than a gas with a short lifetime (assuming the GWPs are equal 6. Which GHG has the highest GWP, 100 year time horizon? Sulfur Hexafluroide 7. Which GHG has the longest Atmospheric lifetime? Sulfur Hexafluoride 8. Methane has a higher GWP than carbon dioxide, but carbon dioxide is the GHG that is most focused on in the media. Using only the data in the table, what is a reason why carbon dioxide absorbs more long wave (heat energy) than methane? Carbon dioxide has a much longer atmospheric lifetime 9. Which type of GHGs are used as an example of resulting only from human industrial activity? The fluorinated gases 10. Which GHG is there the most of in the atmosphere, both pre-industrial concentration and in the 2011 measurement? Carbon dioxide 11. What 3 GHGs come from fossil fuel combustion? Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides 12. Which GHG source is from fertilizer application? Nitrous oxides 13. Which GHG has increased in the atmosphere due to deforestation? Carbon dioxide 14. “The Rise of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” graph has a saw-tooth pattern. What is the cause of the saw-tooth pattern? Seasonal changes in the release and uptake of CO2 by plants Photo Essay: Waiting for the Tide to Turn: Kiribati’s Fight for survival Climate change is a huge concern. Rising ocean waters are threatening to shrink Kiribati’s land area, increase storm damage, destroy its crop-growing lands and ultimately displace its people long before the islands are submerged. Lack of fresh water is an immediate problem. Podcast: Putting the Fizz Back into Planet Earth Different things people are doing with carbon dioxide to eliminate some of it from entering the atmosphere?  Separate carbon dioxide from the fumes that come from manufacturing byproduct and store them. The right reservoir underground to store it is necessary and people’s acceptance who live nearby is also  Catching landfill gases after they’re burnt, transforms gas to solid to make fertilizer  Using it to make polymers to be a component in the manufacture of another raw material that’s used in mattresses, foam, cars, etc. GEOG 227: Our Vulnerable Planet Population Growth & Urban Sprawl Important things to know document Air conditioning adds to the problem by pulling heat from inside buildings and vehicles and dumping it outside, further driving up urban temperatures. 8. What is the projected world population by 2050 & what proportion is expected to live in urban areas? 9.6 billion, 2/3 in urban areas 9. Why are green roofs more expensive than cool roofs and regular roofs? More expensive to install and maintain 10. List the positive attributes of green roofs. slowing stormwater run-off, providing habitat for pollinating insects and making cities more beautiful. 11. A study of Chicago compared surface temperatures over time using satellite images. Evidence showed that which type of roofs significantly altered temperatures? Cool roofs 12. What is albedo? Reflection of sunlight 13. What are some potential downsides of cities being cooled? slow local sea breezes, reduce air quality or warm downwind areas, inhibit rain 14. What US city was the first to develop an urban heat-adaption plan and why did city government move to implement the plan? Louisville Kentucky Video: Urban Sprawl: Which U.S. City Sprawls the Most? 15.What terms best describe urban sprawl? Low-density, single purpose, auto-dependent 16.What 3 metrics are used to measure sprawl? Density, surface of sprawl, auto-dependent people 17.What 3 U.S. cities have the highest amount of sprawl? Atlanta, Greensboro-winston salem, riverside san berardino 18.What is the difference between a city and a metro area? (answer is not in the video, look it up) Metro area includes city and surrounding areas and is larger than just a city Video: Why don’t more U.S. cities have metros like New YorkCity? . 1. Why don't more U.S. cities have metro systems like New York? They are expensive so they get rail/bus because its cheaper 2. Why do metro systems (subways) operate at the highest capacities? They are separated from the traffic (above or below) 3. What measure of density ca support a metro system? 45 people per acre 4. Do most U.S. cities have a density high enough across a enough space to warrant putting in a metro system? No. they need a population of about 5 million 5. Other than cost and population density, what other factor effects the decision of whether a city has a metro system? Time of technological innovations or convenient government funding GEOG 227: Our Vulnerable Planet The Great Acceleration - Questions to consider The first set of questions are in order as you come to them as you read the book. There are a variety of answer lengths among the questions. 1. Compare and contrast the pollution problems associated with mining coal and oil. Coal – Deep and surface Mining coal drastically changes the landscape, and in certain cases, a deep mine collapse can cause a small earthquake. Slags leach sulfuric acid into local waters, killing aquatic life. Methane release into atmosphere. Strip mining destroys vegetation. Blowing up mountains to mine led to excess rock covering streams and forests and increased erosion. Oil drilling – leaks damage marine and aquatic life. In onshore drilling, leaks damage ecosystems and water supply, causing nearby dwellers to have increase in cancer. Spills contribute to air pollution, then acid rain, then damaged crops. Overall, they both benefitted economy and people living elsewhere. But for the places nearby the mining and extraction, the price was high as the water and land was destroyed, and the people living there were left to suffer as opposition was ignored. 2. Describe the changes in agriculture that occurred due to cheap energy. 3. What is the trend of atmospheric carbon dioxide when comparing the chart on page 75 with a more current chart found online? It increased rapidly in the chart in the book, online it is still increasing but not as sharply. 4. What is the Kyoto Protocol? Binding agreement that mandated small emissions cuts (compared to baseline year established as 1990) by the worlds richest countries 5. What is the sixth extinction? How is the sixth extinction different from the first five extinction events? Mass extinction that would overcome previous ones This one is different because it is human caused 6. Summarize the positive aspects of cities. Centers for ingenuity, creativity,wealth If well designed, can require fewer resources per capita than rural areas Densely packed cities require less fuel to keep warm or cool Help lower fertility rates – women have more job opportunity, more access to birth control, and kids are more expensive in cities so they have less of them 7. How did industrialization impact cities? Cities required greater amounts of energy afterwards initially for factories and later for technological innovations synonymous with urban living (lighting, vehicles) 8. Explain how deindustrialization and suburbanization go hand in hand. Deindustrialization involved the movement of industry from the center of te city to the periphery caused more people to move to the periphery of the city near their jobs, and suburbs popped up.